Guide · Hiring
Production company, freelancer or agency: which to hire in London
We Stream is a London video and photo production company (We Stream Ltd, founded in 2022 by Violetta Coretnic and Vitalii Vakulchuk). We work directly for brands and event organisers, and agencies hire us as their London crew. This guide compares the three ways to get a video made in London: what each one actually gives you, what it costs and when it's the right call.
The real comparison
For the same brief the highest quote can be several times the lowest. They aren't quoting for the same thing.
A freelancer quotes for a person and a camera. A production company quotes for a finished film and the organisation around it: a producer, a crew sized to the day, an editor and a delivery date. An agency quotes for the thinking that comes before any of that, and usually hires the production on top.
Most budget mistakes come from mixing those up. Some companies pay for agency strategy on a brief that was already clear. Others book a single freelancer for a launch that happens once and then find the sound unusable. Both are avoidable once you know what each level is for.
At a glance
Three ways to get a film made
Each level has different overheads, different strengths and a different kind of risk. The price gaps follow from that.
Freelancer
A person
One videographer, sometimes with a regular collaborator for sound or a second camera. They shoot, edit and deliver with their own kit.
- Best for clear, repeatable briefs and recurring content
- Watch for no backup on the day, quality varies widely
Production company
A producer and a crew
A producer runs the job, the crew is sized to the day, and editing and delivery run on a known schedule.
- Best for events that happen once, fast turnarounds, client-facing films
- Watch for paying for structure a simple brief doesn't need
Agency
Strategy first
Positioning, concepts, scripts and campaign planning, with account managers between you and the production.
- Best for rebrands, national campaigns, unclear briefs
- Watch for minimum budgets and slower approvals
Freelancers
Direct, quick, and one person deep
With a freelancer you talk to the person doing the work. No layers, no internal approvals, and low overheads that show in the rate.
Good freelancers care about the result because their name is on it, and many London freelancers are excellent. For a simple interview, documentation of a meeting or a social format you repeat every month, a freelancer is often the most sensible choice.
The limits show up at the worst moments. If they're booked, you wait. If they're ill or a camera fails, there's no one behind them. Quality varies more at this level than most buyers expect, so a portfolio review and a reference call aren't optional. And one person can't be on two floors at once.
Production companies
What a producer actually adds
The difference from a freelancer isn't the camera. It's someone running the job: the crew plan, the client, the problems before you hear about them.
Tommy Hilfiger x Shawn Mendes
- A producer and two camera operators
- Each operator owned a separate floor
- Both levels covered at once, one film for the brand's account
Rebecca Vallance x Nicky Hilton
- A storyboard of eight sequences; every VIP in the film
- The party at Gaia in Mayfair ends
- First cut due for approval, final by 11
Two films, one reason they worked: someone ran the day.
What you're paying for
- Coordination. Call sheets, crew briefings, access, file handling. On high-stakes shoots this, not the filming, is where things go wrong.
- Backup. A second camera, spare kit and someone who can step in.
- Speed. An editor lined up before the shoot, so an overnight or same-day cut is planned rather than hoped for.
- One brief. You explain the job once, to one person.
Agencies
The agency often hires a company like us
What sets an agency apart is the work before filming: what to make, why and for whom. The shoot itself is often bought in from a production company.
These three films came to us through agencies. For Lancôme, HoYeon Jung getting ready for the 2023 BAFTAs, we were a three-person team of producer, camera operator and assistant. For Max Factor we filmed Priyanka Chopra's London launch day. For Rouje, a Paris agency booked us for a digital billboard campaign. The agency owned the idea and the client relationship; we ran the London production.
That's why an agency is worth it for a rebrand, a national campaign or a project where you don't yet know what you need. If your brief is already clear, going straight to a production company usually means the same crew on the day without the layer in between. Most agencies also set a minimum project size, and more approval steps mean more time between brief and delivery.
How to decide
Five questions, the first two count double
Run your project through these. Budget gets the attention, but the stakes decide more.
| Question | Freelancer | Production company | Agency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. What if it goes wrong? | A reshoot is possible | It happens once | A campaign rides on it |
| 2. Is the brief clear? | Yes, and it repeats | Yes, but it's complex | Not yet |
| 3. How fast? | A week or more | Same day to a week | Weeks of development |
| 4. How many cameras? | One | Two or more, with a producer | Whatever the concept needs |
| 5. Who signs off? | One person | A small team | Several layers |
A £500 saving means nothing if the footage from a launch you can't repeat is unusable. Ask what a bad result would actually cost before comparing day rates.
What most companies do
Match the supplier to the project
Companies that use video regularly rarely pick one option for everything. They spend where the stakes are and save where they aren't.
- FreelancerSocial formats, internal updates, training videos. Clear, repeatable, low stakes.
- Production companyConferences, launches, client-facing films and anything with a fixed date.
- AgencyThe big campaign or rebrand, where strategy has to come first.
Choosing well
Who you hire matters more than which type
London has excellent freelancers, solid production companies and world-class agencies, and weak ones at every level.
- Look at recent work like yours. Not the showreel: a full film from a similar event or brief.
- Ask who will be on the day. Names, not a team page.
- Ask about the edit. Who cuts it, how many rounds of changes, and when it arrives.
- Check insurance. Public liability in writing, especially for venues.
- Be careful with rock-bottom rates and instant availability. The good ones are usually booked weeks ahead.
Our prices
What a production company costs with us
Published packages, filmed and edited. Travel outside London is calculated by us and included in your quote, so there is nothing to add later. VAT will be added where applicable.
For comparison, NOA's brand story, with two camera operators and a producer-assistant for an eight-hour day and four rounds of revisions, was £4,000. Full rates are on our prices page.
Questions
Frequently asked
What is the difference between a freelancer, a production company and an agency?
A freelancer is one videographer who shoots, edits and delivers, sometimes with a regular collaborator. A production company runs the whole job: a producer, a crew sized to the day, an editor and a delivery schedule. An agency adds strategy before production: positioning, concepts and campaign planning, and often hires a production company for the shoot itself.
How much does a freelance videographer cost in London compared with a production company?
A London freelancer charges about £650 to £900 a day for the camera work alone, with editing on top (Airframe Media, May 2026). London event video companies publish around £1,480 to £1,600 for one finished event day (October 2026). Our own packages start at £1,400 for one operator for half a day with a highlight film. Agencies quote per project.
When should I hire a production company instead of a freelancer?
When the event happens once and can't be reshot, when you need a same-day or overnight edit, when the day needs two or more cameras and someone coordinating them, or when the film represents your company to clients or investors.
When is an agency worth it?
For a rebrand, a national campaign, or a project where you don't yet know what content you need or how it fits your wider marketing. If the brief is already clear, a production company usually gives you the same crew on the day without the extra layer and cost.
Do agencies use production companies?
Often. Agencies own the idea and the client relationship and bring in a production company for the shoot. We have filmed for Lancôme, Max Factor, Tommy Hilfiger and Rouje through agencies.
How is a small London production company usually staffed?
Usually a small core with a bench. We Stream is two founders, our director of photography and our producer, plus a regular editor who cuts every project and camera operators and photographers we have worked with before, brought in when a day needs more hands. Ask any company who will actually be on the day and who will edit.
Can we use more than one type of supplier?
Yes, and most companies that make video regularly do. A freelancer for monthly social and internal content, a production company for conferences, launches and client-facing films, and an agency for the yearly campaign or rebrand.
How do I check a production company or freelancer before booking?
Watch a full recent film from a similar brief, not just the showreel. Ask who will be on the day and who edits, how many rounds of changes are included and when delivery is, and ask for public liability insurance in writing. Be wary of rock-bottom rates combined with instant availability.
Not sure which you need?
Send us the brief, we'll say if we're the right fit
If a freelancer would do the job better or cheaper, we'll tell you. If you need an agency first, we'll tell you that too.
A date in mind?
It is worth getting in touch early
We have a limited number of slots per month. iGaming expos, fashion weeks, and large-scale corporate events fill quickly.